Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-30

/
more private pension bills thau Grant
aud Hayes combined and l21 more than
Arthur.
The Statement" is false both IN its as
sertions and its suggestions.
First. As to its assertions. The pen
sion story of the 10Th Congress Is this.
Pension bills passed IN the TWO sessions g4g
Bills approved by Cleveland ...... .... . CiS
Bills vetoed by Cleveland 90. ........... l24
Bills become laws by lapse Of time With
49,. out Cleveland's approval .-......... 10
Bill "pocketed" 10y Cleveland. .......
Total ...... ..... ..... ............... 90
OF the bills passed, IA were in the first
session OF that Congress and POP in the
second session.
OF the bills vetoed, 1Ol were in the first
session and % in the second
or the bills become laws without the
presidents signature, 154 were in the first
session and in the second.
/ The "pocketed" bill was in the frs. ses-
sion.
/ lmake up this table from the C01,rcs-
SiOHd' Record, the United States stataLes
and other data, and believe the figure to
be exactly correct.
The truth, therefore, is that President
| Cleveland approved" about two-thrds
OF the bills passed, vetoed" over one
eighth and "dodged' as to the remain
der.
| : Second. As to the suggestions of the
statement Its purpose is to contrast the
Grant, Hayes and Arthur pension records
| with Cleveland's, to the advantage Of the
latter. Now what are the facts about
those administrations
OF the 493 pension bills passed under
the Grant. administration Grant vetoed
eight. Two, because the claimants
names were then on the pension roll
Another, because the clause in the act
about the mlnor children OF the soldier
had no meaning. Three We're vetoed be
cause the names of the claimants were
borne on the army rolls as deserters. An
other, because the name of the pensioner
was not correctly given. And the last,
because the soldiers company was not
! correctly stated. He signed 49,. This is
Grant : record on pension vetOes.
What IS Haye3's and Arthurs record
/ Under Hayes BOB private pension bills
We're passed. He approved them all
Under Arthur, '3G private pension bills
were passsd by Congress. He approved
them all.
.Cleveland's approvals We're but Gds out
OF $50 passed, and are thus 100 less than
Grants and Hayes's combined, and Is less
than Arthur's, out OF a total l53 greater
than the former and 213 greater than the
latter.
The contrast is what might have been
/ expected III advance of Investigation
/ Grant, Hayes aud Arthur We're all actual
~ engaged III the suppression of the rebel
lion, and We're in full personal sympathy
I II. y
record as president Is not out of harmony
with his passveuess as citizen during
/ the struggle.
/ 1t is true, as claimed, that Cleveland
signed the widows increase bill and the
crippled soldiers increase bill 1t is also
true that he 81 Eued the Mexican war pen
sion bill, which awards a service pension
/ as distinguished from "A disability pension
to the soldiers oil that war. But it is also
true that within 10 days thereafter he We
toed the bill which proposed application
/ OF substantially the same principle to the
soldiers OF the army of the | uon. His
friends have the floor to align taat extra
| ordinary discrimination against tae nioa
sOldiery with this extraordinary pleten-
sion OF friendship for them.
| 1t is a part of the same programme also TO
claim that "a this date there are more Mon
soldiers in the government service than at
any previous period. This ous ht to be
true, considering that the laws Inherited
by this administration from its redeces
sors distinctly direct thar preferr &c shall
always be given, other things BEN ( equal,
10 the houorably discharged UIuon sol
diers. If 1t be not true, this adlninistra-
ton must have steadily violated this law.
. But i'll view of the proved mlsstatements
touching pension bills, and of what is
known concerning the methods adopted
in filling those classes of appointments to
which the civil service law was construed
not TO apply and as to which, therefore, there
was held to be no limit to the discretion of
the appointing power, | am warranted in
saying that until this last claim be clearly
proved by published lists of removals and
appointments made it must suffer from
the dlscredlt thrown upon its twin.
Undoubtedly the pension Office Is doing
a great deal of work. Congress intended
that il should, when the additional agents
and clerks literally given that office to
meet the new and increasing demands
upon it left its chief without excuse for
delays. Had the commissioner of pen
slons been less vigorous in administration
he would have been simply derelict in
duty. But that fact does not hide from
the public the other fact that while he has
been granting many pensions TO Union
soldiers, and widely advertising 1t, his
own immediate chief and indeed, the
whole administration have been engaged
without advertising it, in making an
average by providing comfortable and
responsible department positions for large|
numbers Of representative kukluX of
1S15-'7S,
This has certain elements Of fitness in
it, An adm ulstratlOn which was made
by the ku KluX possibility in our poll
tics could hardly be expected to be indif-
ferent to the aspirations of the agents who
chiefly brought it into being. In this re-
spect, also, there is contrast between
Grant and Cleveland. Grant did release
| from the penitentlary near the close of
their terms OF Imprisonment some OF the
ku klux leaders who protessed repent
ance and promised obedience to law. But
he did not invite them 10 share with him
the administration of the government.
| Ihat GROWING act of Indifference toI
malignant crimes against citizenship was
reserved for an administration which conf
ta,ns within Its circles of department.
chiefs not one man with the reputation of
| having actively helped his country in its
| hour OF peril, and which now, ludicrously
] n. seeks IN a : friend
/ Of the men who suatChed 1t from the brink
to which, in zeal for slavery, the demo
| cratic party had hurried it.
| am very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
EDWARD MCPHERSON.